Wal-Mart Store Openings Bring Big Economic Impact to Bismarck

BISMARCK, N.D., April 19, 2006 – Two new Wal-Mart Supercenters in Bismarck celebrate grand openings on Wednesday, April. 19 and already are making a large impression on many facets of the Bismarck community. Wal-Mart’s two new stores, along with the SAM’S CLUB opening next week, will bring total employment by the three stores to more than 1,000 jobs in the community – more than 800 jobs through the two Wal-Mart Supercenters alone. The three stores together also will donate more than $60,500 in donations to local organizations. These openings come on the heels of another new Supercenter’s debut in the area. Last month, the Dickinson Wal-Mart opened, bringing with it 110 new jobs and $18,500 in charitable donations.

Area Suppliers To Benefit from New Stores
The new Wal-Mart stores opening April 19 will offer product lines and services from local companies including: National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), Cloverdale Foods, Ambassador Fargo, Dakota Pasta Growers, Cavendish, Mary’s Kitchen, Homestead Gourmet Products and Pizza Corner Pizza.

“The impact of these stores in our area is tremendous,” said Tracy Porter, chief financial officer of National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) which is located in Bismarck-Mandan. The company provides utility bill payment services to all U.S.-based Wal-Mart operations, including Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters and SAM’S CLUBS. “We work with the Wal-Mart Energy Team in Bentonville to provide them the data needed on every Wal-Mart store in the country. NISC has been able to grow along with Wal-Mart, so we are very excited to welcome these stores in our hometown.”

A Focus on Community – More than $60,000 in donations, $19,000 to help emergency responders
Of the $60,000 donated by the three new stores, a total of $19,000 will be donated to organizations in the Bismarck area focused on law enforcement, fire prevention and neighborhood safety. With the goal of giving back locally, the Bismarck Supercenters and SAM’S CLUB will provide community grants throughout the year to neighborhood organizations. “We are thrilled to be part of the Bismarck community,” said Wal-Mart Store Manager Curtis Patzell of the newly relocated store. “Our associates know this community and want to continue contributing to local organizations that make Bismarck a great place to live. We are all excited to announce the recipients of our community grants prior to grand opening, including a combined focus of $19,000 to organizations in our area who help with law enforcement, fire and neighborhood safety.”

“Wal-Mart has supported us in the past, and we appreciate them seeing the importance of our program to this community,” said Dan Sweeney, staff chaplain of the Bismarck Law Enforcement Chaplaincy. “We, as chaplains, support all emergency services in the Bismarck and Burleigh counties. Wal-Mart has always been very good to us, and we are grateful.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: A complete list of organizations receiving grand opening grants is listed on the store’s fact sheet at the end of the release.)

Grand Opening Times and Events
• The grand opening celebration for the Skyline Blvd Wal-Mart Supercenter will be held at 7:30 a.m. with doors opening to the public at 8 a.m.
Event features: Century High School students will perform the national anthem and present the colors at the grand opening ceremony, and Kermit Culver of First United Methodist Church will provide the invocation. Ambassadors from the Chamber of Commerce will cut the ribbon, and Bismarck Mayor John Warford and Mandan Mayor Ken Lamount will participate in the ceremony. Other activities planned include an appearance by Chuck Foreman, the former Minnesota Viking All-Pro running back and receiver, numerous product samples, give-aways and character appearances from Chester Cheetah and others. Miss Black Teen USA is tentatively scheduled to be at the store during grand opening week at a time and date to be determined.

• The newly relocated Rock Island Place Wal-Mart Supercenter will hold its celebration at 7:30 a.m. and open its doors to the public at 8 a.m.
Event Features: At the grand opening ceremony, Lori Wilson will sing the national anthem. She sang the national anthem at the original store opening in 1990. Chamber members will cut the ribbon. Other activities planned during the grand opening include numerous product samples, give-aways, and a signing by Greg Eslinger, All-American Center football player.

Both Stores Have Latest Supercenter Features
Each of the stores boast many of the latest merchandise features coming to Wal-Mart Supercenters this year, including wider aisles, a new home trends display and concrete and hardwood floors throughout the store. The new Supercenters also include an expanded selection of organic food items in their grocery selections. In addition, customers will find new features in the electronics sections that showcase the latest in computers, iPods and hi-definition television. The Supercenters feature 36 general merchandise departments including apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics. In addition, the stores each offer a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections, a Tire & Lube Express, a Subway restaurant, a portrait studio, a one-hour photo lab, a vision center, a Smart Style hair salon and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales.

1400 Skyline Blvd. Store
According to Store Manager Tim Morris, the new 224,000-square-foot Skyline Blvd. store will be open to customers 24 hours a day**, seven days a week and will include more than 30 full-service and 11 express check-out lanes. Other store features include: a family fun center, a Regal Nails salon and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales.

2717 Rockland Place Store
The new Rockland Place store is now located next to the new SAM’S CLUB which is opening next week. The newly relocated store is a brand new 211,000-square-foot Supercenter, gaining 95,000 square feet and the added convenience a Wal-Mart Supercenter brings. It will be open to customers 24 hours a day**, seven days a week and will include 28 full-service and 16 express check-out lanes. It also is one of three Wal-Marts in the country that has a separate liquor store entrance. The store was formerly a general merchandise store located at 710 S. Washington. Other store features include a Home Medical Supply and a First Community Credit Union branch.

**Both stores will be closed from midnight Saturday to noon on Sunday.

Wal-Mart and SAM’S Together Employ 1,000
The two Wal-Mart Supercenters together will employ more than 800 associates. The new SAM’S CLUB will open next week with 180 new jobs, bringing the combined employment between the three stores to more than 1,000, The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.*

Wal-Mart Store Manager Morris started as an hourly associate in 1994 stocking merchandise at a store in Minot, ND. More than 15 of the store associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years, added Morris. Store Manager Patzell boasts 80 associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years, and 42 of them have been with the store since it originally opened in 1990.

Wal-Mart Economic Impact in North Dakota
EDITOR’S NOTE: See www.walmartfacts.com for more information about Wal-Mart in North Dakota.

As of March 2006, Wal-Mart employed 2,846 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in the state of North Dakota:
• Supercenters: 2
• Discount Stores: 6
• SAM’S CLUBS: 2

In 2005, Wal-Mart collected on behalf of the state of North Dakota more than $29.1 million in sales taxes and paid more than $2.4 million in state and local taxes.

About Wal-Mart Stores
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM’S CLUB locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company’s securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.

* Average wage taken yearly (December 2005). See www.walmartfacts.com for more details.

Store fast facts
• Location: 1400 Skyline Blvd., Bismarck, ND
• 224,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
• Store opening 8 a.m., Wednesday, April. 19; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony
• Store manager: Tim Morris

Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products and fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, Tire & Lube Express, vision center, family fun center, Subway restaurant, portrait studio, one-hour photo lab, Smart Style hair salon, Regal Nails salon and a Wal-Mart Connect Center. The store will also have an expanded organic food section and products from local suppliers.
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of Saturday midnight to noon Sunday.
• More than 30 full-service and 11 express check-out lanes

Charitable giving
• $24,000 in charitable contributions to 12 area organizations
* Abused Adult Resource Center
* Bismarck Law Enforcement Chaplaincy
* Bismarck Public Schools
* Center Stanton Public School
* City of Flasher
* City of Mandan Parks and Recreation Department
* City of Washburn
* City of Wilton (Ambulance Services)
* Corpus Christi Church (Food Pantry)
* Dakota Zoological Society
* Mandan Public Schools
* Medcenter One Foundation (New Salem Community Clinic)

Employment
• More than 400 jobs; 2,000 applicants
• The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.*
• Store Manager Tim Morris started as an hourly associate in 1994 as a stockman at a store in Minot.

* Average wage taken yearly (December 2005). See www.walmartfacts.com for details.



Store fast facts
• New Location: 2717 Rock Island Place, Bismarck, ND
• Originally opened in 1990 at 701 S. Washington
• 211,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, gaining an additional 95,000 square feet
• Store opening 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, April. 19; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony
• Store manager: Curtis Patzell

Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products and fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, Tire & Lube Express, vision center, Subway restaurant, portrait studio, one-hour photo lab, Smart Style hair salon, Home Medical Supply, First Community Credit Union branch and a Wal-Mart Connect Center. The store will also have an expanded organic food section and many products from local suppliers.
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of Saturday midnight to noon Sunday.
• 18 full-service and 11 express check-out lanes

Charitable giving
• $16,500 in charitable contributions to six area organizations
* Bismarck Law Enforcement Chaplaincy
* Bismarck Mandan Symphony Foundation
* Dakota Zoological Society Endowment Fund
* Missouri Valley Family YMCA
* North Dakota Special Olympics
* Sleepy Hollow Summer Theatre

Employment
• Total employment is 420, including 75 new jobs
• The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.*
• Approximately 76 percent of Wal-Mart store managers started as hourly associates.

* Average wage taken yearly (December 2005). See www.walmartfacts.com for details.

For more information
• Wal-Mart Store Manager Curtis Patzell at 701-323-0462
• Media contact: Cydnee Cochran, 479-254-8618, cydnee@mitchcommgroup.com
• Wal-Mart Home Office spokesperson: Melissa O’Brien, Wal-Mart corporate communications, 479-273-4314, option 3, melissa.obrien@wal-mart.com
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com